I need help with color of babies

[finchlover1]

I am new here and have read alot of posts. You are all so passionate about what you do and I'm sitting here typing listening to my 5 babies crying to be fed. Sweet sound. Love it.

My question is two fold.

1. I thought I got a white female but doing alot of reading I'm now not sure. She is definately all white BUT has a black "line" under each eye. So what color is she?

2. I breed her with a gray male. What color will the babies be.

Thank you for any help you can give me. Lyn

[nelloyello11]

Okay. First off, welcome to the forum! It's a good idea to put your location in your profile. It makes it easier to answer some questions.

Secondly, to your questions:
1- it sounds like she is CFW (Chestnut Flanked White). Check out this site: http://www.efinch.com/species/cfwzeb.htm
Scroll down to the very bottom and there is a pic of a CFW female. Notice the very very light tail bars.
Or she could be pied, maybe, just a very strong pied.
2. What the babies will look like, depends on which of those 2 variations she is, and how they turn out will also help you figure out what she might be. If she is:
CFW- This is a sex-linked mutation, so all the female offspring would be normal grey, and male offspring would be normal grey split for CFW (meaning they would look normal, but would carry the gene for CFW). However, if your grey male (Dad) is split to CFW, then you could get CFW chicks.
Pied- this is a recessive mutation. Again, the colors of chicks will depend on what genes dad might carry. If he is not split for pied, all your chicks could look normal, but would carry the pied gene. If he is split for pied, you could get normal greys split for pied, as well as vary degrees of pied.

Now, all of that does not take into account any other mutations that either one might carry. Zebras are kind of a genetic grab bag so they could have all kinds of hidden genes that might even take several generations/different pairings to show themselves. I think many times, seeing how the chicks color up will help identify what you've got in the parents.
I hope that helps and was not too confusing.
PS pictures are also really good when you need help identifying mutations and problems.

[Justin-2-finches]

Welcome to the forum!

Nelissa is spot on!
Although i doubt its pied, it sounds like CFW.

[bugaboo5]

Welcome!!! Yup, ditto to what's been said already. Chestnut Flanked White sounds just about right. Photos would be awesome!

[finchlover1]

You all all awesome. I checked the nest and see 3 grays, 1 "yellow" and 1 "lightist yellow".

So NOT being a pied and a CFW? sounds right.

I've been reading tons about genetics and I'm not getting it. I even downloaded a genetics thing where you put in the color of the finch and it gives you the babies possible colors. Trouble is I don't understand what DF and SF mean.

I don't get all the Letters to colors. I used to breed cockatiels and knew by the color and sex what the babies would be. Understood tiel genetics inside out.

But with the finches I feel like a two year old. Any suggestions. I really want to learn everything, genetics being first. Great board, great people.

Thank you for letting me vent and talk things out here. Lyn

[finchlover1]

I totally agree. I've been trying for an hour on how to do pictures. I swear I'm so computer illerate when it comes to pictures, download, uploads. Well you get the picture. This was the only pic I'm hoping comes with this email. I also noticed when trying to take a pic that her head had very tiny bit of brownish color. So CFW (?) sounds right.

This is the best I could do with a pic. You need a magnifing glass.

[finchlover1]

Okay. First off, welcome to the forum! It's a good idea to put your location in your profile. It makes it easier to answer some questions.

Secondly, to your questions:
1- it sounds like she is CFW (Chestnut Flanked White). Check out this site: http://www.efinch.com/species/cfwzeb.htm
Scroll down to the very bottom and there is a pic of a CFW female. Notice the very very light tail bars.
Or she could be pied, maybe, just a very strong pied.
2. What the babies will look like, depends on which of those 2 variations she is, and how they turn out will also help you figure out what she might be. If she is:
CFW- This is a sex-linked mutation, so all the female offspring would be normal grey, and male offspring would be normal grey split for CFW (meaning they would look normal, but would carry the gene for CFW). However, if your grey male (Dad) is split to CFW, then you could get CFW chicks.
Pied- this is a recessive mutation. Again, the colors of chicks will depend on what genes dad might carry. If he is not split for pied, all your chicks could look normal, but would carry the pied gene. If he is split for pied, you could get normal greys split for pied, as well as vary degrees of pied.

Now, all of that does not take into account any other mutations that either one might carry. Zebras are kind of a genetic grab bag so they could have all kinds of hidden genes that might even take several generations/different pairings to show themselves. I think many times, seeing how the chicks color up will help identify what you've got in the parents.
I hope that helps and was not too confusing.
PS pictures are also really good when you need help identifying mutations and problems.

Thank you all so much but I have done as you suggested. The pic at the bottom of the page is spot on. I noticed a few brownish hairs on top of her head. The male is regular grey. I'm in NJ. Will that help you? I did take a peek at the 5 babies. I see for sure 3 grays, 1 yellowish color and one probably schwished on the bottom of the pile. I tried to upload a pic on my other post but I'm afraid you'll need a magnifying glass. I am computer illiterate for sure.

Care to have some fun and recalculate your baby color theory? I'm so interested in genetics. Did tiels for years. They were a snap compared to finches. Do they have a book genetics of finches for dummies??

[cindy]

Welcome and we do love pictures!!!

[finchlover1]

Welcome and we do love pictures!!!

Thank you all. I've never seen a bb with so many people at the ready to help.

boo hoo, I've been trying to upload a pic forever. Just can't figure it out. I'm really good at describing probably because I can't upload pics but I'll keep trying. My pics are too big for the avatar. Can't get them on posts although a post may have one (bring your magnifying glass).(for real).

[finchlover1]

Ok, dummy here. How do I add my location? I'm going to be a handful here. I will buy anyone who needs the economy size of advil.

[cindy]

You can edit your profile by going to the User Control Panel at the top left of this page.

[finchmix22]

I am not sure how others shrink pics, but I go to "shrink pics" online and it is fairly easy to do, so I can post pics. Welcome.

[nelloyello11]

Lyn,
To add your location, click on "User Control Panel" at the top of the page. Then, under "Options" towardthe left side, click on "Profile." You will see a field for "Location" there. The reason I mentioned it in my previous post is because sometimes (though probably not for this issue, specifically), it is handy to those answering your posts to quickly see where you are to give better answers -things like breeders in your area, places to find supplies, medications, etc.

As far as a book on zebra genetics, I personally recommend Garrie Landry's book, which can be purchased directly from him, online:
http://www.zebrafinch.com/other/Book.html
I just got it myself, and it has been immensely helpful. His main website is: http://www.zebrafinch.com/NewZebra/Zebra.html
Other sites I have used are:
http://www.efinch.com/varieties.htm
http://www.zebrafinchsociety.co.uk/inde ... &Itemid=68 (also check out the next few articles on this site
http://www.singing-wings-aviary.com/zebrafinches.htm (part way down the page, there is a nice chart with all of the mutations and their modes of inheritance)
Hope that helps!

[finchlover1]

Thank you all for your help. I went to profile. I can't find where to put where I am from as a poster suggested I do. I'll keep looking.

[finchlover1]

Lyn,
To add your location, click on "User Control Panel" at the top of the page. Then, under "Options" towardthe left side, click on "Profile." You will see a field for "Location" there. The reason I mentioned it in my previous post is because sometimes (though probably not for this issue, specifically), it is handy to those answering your posts to quickly see where you are to give better answers -things like breeders in your area, places to find supplies, medications, etc.

As far as a book on zebra genetics, I personally recommend Garrie Landry's book, which can be purchased directly from him, online:
http://www.zebrafinch.com/other/Book.html
I just got it myself, and it has been immensely helpful. His main website is: http://www.zebrafinch.com/NewZebra/Zebra.html
Other sites I have used are:
http://www.efinch.com/varieties.htm
http://www.zebrafinchsociety.co.uk/inde ... &Itemid=68 (also check out the next few articles on this site
http://www.singing-wings-aviary.com/zebrafinches.htm (part way down the page, there is a nice chart with all of the mutations and their modes of inheritance)
Hope that helps!

Oh, I'm gonna have to keep you as a favorite. You really know your stuff!!
Thank you to everyone for your help. I know I will be asking alot of questions as I learn. Lyn